What can I claim secondary to herpes simplex?
4 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list herpes simplex as a factor. If DVA has accepted your herpes simplex, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionHerpes simplex
- Conditions it may open4
- SourceRMA SoPs
- Chart Review$600 + GST
How a secondary claim works
Some Statement of Principles factors are not about service at all — they name another condition. Where DVA has already accepted your herpes simplex, and another condition's SoP lists herpes simplex as a factor, that part of the next claim is already established on your file. How a secondary claim works, in full →
Conditions that list herpes simplex as a factor
Quoted from the instrument. A pathway existing is not the same as a claim succeeding — each factor carries thresholds your record has to satisfy.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
RH No. 56 of 2017 · BoP No. 57 of 2017
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (6): “being infected with herpes simplex virus or varicella zoster virus, where there is evidence of the infection causing a clinical illness involving the vestibular nerve of the affected side, before the clinical onset of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo” [clinical onset] — factor (17): “being infected with herpes simplex virus or varicella zoster virus, where there is evidence of the infection causing a clinical illness involving the vestibular nerve of the affected side, before the clinical worsening of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (6): “being infected with herpes simplex virus or varicella zoster virus, where there is evidence of the infection causing a clinical illness involving the vestibular nerve of the affected side, before the clinical onset of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo” [clinical onset] — factor (13): “being infected with herpes simplex virus or varicella zoster virus, where there is evidence of the infection causing a clinical illness involving the vestibular nerve of the affected side, before the clinical worsening of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo” [worsening]
Duodenal ulcer and duodenal erosion
RH No. 49 of 2024 · BoP No. 50 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (3): “having an infection of the duodenal mucosa by one of the following organisms: (a) Anisakis simplex (causing anisakiasis); (b) cytomegalovirus; (c) herpes simplex virus; (d) fungi (such as Candida species or Histoplasma capsulatum); (e) Helicobacter heilmannii; (f) Mycobacterium tuberculosis; (g) Strongyloides stercoralis (causing strongyloidiasis); or (h) Treponema pallidum infection (causing syphilis); at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (2): “having an infection of the duodenal mucosa by one of the following organisms: (a) cytomegalovirus; (b) herpes simplex virus; (c) fungi (such as Candida species or Histoplasma capsulatum); (d) Helicobacter heilmannii; (e) Mycobacterium tuberculosis; (f) Strongyloides stercoralis (causing strongyloidiasis); at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 infection
RH No. 96 of 2018 · BoP No. 97 of 2018
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having: (a) herpes simplex virus type 2 anogenital infection; or (b) a genital ulcerative disease; or (c) a non-ulcerative anogenital sexually transmitted infection with clinical symptoms or signs, excluding genital warts; within the four weeks before the clinical onset of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 infection” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Human immunodeficiency virus infection
RH No. 5 of 2019 · BoP No. 6 of 2019
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having: (a) a genital ulcerative disease; or (b) a non-ulcerative anogenital sexually transmitted infection with clinical symptoms or signs, excluding genital warts; or (c) herpes simplex virus type 2 anogenital infection; within the 30 days before the clinical onset of human immunodeficiency virus infection” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (2): “having: (a) a genital ulcerative disease; or (b) a non-ulcerative anogenital sexually transmitted infection with clinical symptoms or signs, excluding genital warts; or (c) herpes simplex virus type 2 anogenital infection; within the 30 days before the clinical onset of human immunodeficiency virus infection” [clinical onset]
Other accepted conditions that also open benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions herpes simplex does.
What DVA means by herpes simplex
A claim is tested against the definition first. If the diagnosis on your file does not meet this wording, the factors below never get reached — so it is worth checking that what your doctor wrote matches what the instrument requires.
Herpes simplex, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, herpes simplex means a clinical illness caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Lesions arising at an anatomical location where they have not previously occurred may be regarded as a new infection.
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(16) to 9(30) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, herpes simplex where it was already present before or during service. If service caused herpes simplex outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 39 of 2018 · BoP No. 40 of 2018 · 24 factors
What could support a claim for herpes simplex?
The Statement of Principles for herpes simplex names 1 other condition among its own factors. If any of these is already accepted on your file, it may be the factor that carries a herpes simplex claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Chemical burn
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (3): “having a thermal or chemical burn within the seven days before the clinical onset of herpes simplex at or close to the site of the burn” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (17): “having a thermal or chemical burn within the seven days before the clinical worsening of herpes simplex at or close to the site of the burn” [worsening]
Reviewed by Dr Thomas Perkins
Founding doctor, Veterans Health Centre · former RAAF aviation medical officer · 13 years working exclusively with ADF members and veterans. Full profile →
Herpes simplex accepted?
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